"Plans?"
The Holy Emperor repeated the word.
She raised her head with a certain dazedness, her gaze passing over Haimer's broad shoulders to look out at the ruined cityscape encircled by countless Gastrea.
The wind swept up dust from the ground and stung her face.
This city.
The place she had poured everything into protecting.
Countless times she had stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Holy Residence, gazing down at this land, dreaming of the day when humans and Cursed Children might coexist.
But now.
The old order had collapsed. A new order was about to rise from the rubble.
And she — a remnant of that old era — seemed to have already fulfilled every last purpose she had.
So what came next?
Where was she supposed to go?
Stay here?
Watch from the sidelines as those children built their new home under a god's guidance?
But... as long as she remained here for even a single day, those who had once supported her — or despised her — could never truly put the past behind them.
Her very existence.
Was a massive, awkward symbol of a dead era.
It might even become an obstacle to the establishment of the new order.
At that thought.
The light in the Holy Emperor's eyes gradually dimmed, and the spine she had kept perfectly straight began to bow, just slightly.
"I... don't know."
She shook her head gently, her voice tinged with bitterness, scattered by the wind.
"If Kami-sama chooses not to pass judgment on me... then perhaps someone like me should find a quiet place with no one around, and... spend whatever remains of my life in peace."
"After all, someone like me."
"Whether living or dead — it no longer matters to this world."
It was the calm of a heart that had already gone cold.
No hysteria. No self-pity.
Just a pure, simple feeling of being superfluous.
Like a pawn abandoned by the tide of history, with no place left to belong.
"Superfluous?"
"I don't see it that way at all."
At that moment, Haimer's voice rang out suddenly, cutting through the Holy Emperor's self-deprecation.
The Holy Emperor looked up, startled.
And found herself staring straight into Haimer's deep, dark eyes.
...
"Miss Holy Emperor."
"It seems you are rather undervaluing yourself?"
Haimer stepped forward, closing the distance between them.
"In my eyes, Miss Holy Emperor's soul is far from tainted."
"On the contrary."
"In that final moment — you had the courage to cast aside everything you possessed and used your own frail body to stand between those children and the mob's stones, facing the fury of the crowd head-on."
"That kind of courage."
"Is something even many so-called great figures could never manage."
As he spoke, Haimer extended his hand toward the Holy Emperor.
Palm facing upward.
An invitation.
"Therefore."
"Since Miss Holy Emperor believes she no longer has a place in this world."
"And has long since grown weary of that lofty identity as Holy Emperor."
"Then."
Haimer's voice always carried a peculiar magnetism — one that made people want to listen without quite knowing why.
"Would you like to try a different way of living?"
"Go somewhere no one knows your name."
"There."
"You can start over."
"You can learn how to fight. How to grow stronger. Even how to become someone who can hold an umbrella over others."
"What do you say?"
As he said those words —
Haimer leaned forward slightly, his gaze meeting the Holy Emperor's eyes directly.
"Miss Holy Emperor — would you be interested in coming with me to see a much wider world?"
Boom—
Those words struck like a bolt of lightning, detonating inside the Holy Emperor's mind.
She stared at Haimer in disbelief. She simply hadn't expected this at all.
This divine being who wielded power enough to shake heaven and earth — not only had he chosen not to judge her.
He was actually going to take her with him?
He had actually extended an olive branch to someone like her — a sinner?
"I... is that truly all right?"
The Holy Emperor's voice trembled. Her eyes went red in an instant, and on instinct she stepped back a few paces.
"Someone like me, steeped in sin and utterly without worth..."
"Am I truly qualified to become a member of your Familia?"
"Of course."
"As long as Miss Holy Emperor is willing."
Haimer said nothing unnecessary. Instead, he extended his hand toward the Holy Emperor with even greater resolve — pressing it forward, slightly.
No words required.
A silent promise.
Plink.
A single scalding tear slid down the Holy Emperor's cheek and splashed onto the dust-covered ground.
The Holy Emperor drew in a long, slow breath.
Then raised her hand and messily wiped the tears from her face with her sleeve.
The motion was still a little clumsy, and her face bore its wounds.
But in that moment.
The look in the Holy Emperor's eyes seemed to rekindle — a light called hope, blazing back to life.
"I am willing!"
Without a moment's hesitation.
The Holy Emperor extended that hand — scraped raw from protecting the children earlier — and pressed it firmly into Haimer's open palm.
Gripping it tight.
As though gripping the only salvation she had ever known in her life.
"Then, Kami-sama."
"From this day forward."
"I am your Familia."
"Whether the path ahead leads to heaven or to hell — I will follow in your footsteps, even unto death."
"Very well."
Haimer smiled and gave a small nod, closing his hand around hers in return. The warmth of his palm passed through.
"Now that Miss Holy Emperor has chosen to join us — no more crying."
"If such a lovely face gets all puffy from tears and the others see it, they'll think I've been bullying you."
Haimer smiled and quipped lightly, his tone as easy as if chatting with an old friend — not a trace of divine aloofness anywhere.
Upon hearing that, the Holy Emperor's cheeks flushed instantly, the color spreading all the way to the tips of her ears.
She hastily lowered her head and frantically dabbed at the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand, muttering in a small, embarrassed voice:
"I'm... I'm not that puffy..."
This girlish reaction — if the people who had known the old her had witnessed it, their jaws would have hit the floor.
After all — when had that lofty, untouchable Holy Emperor ever shown such a bashful side?
---
After that.
Haimer released her hand and turned to face the group of Cursed Children assembled in the plaza.
Now that the main matters had been resolved and the Familia recruitment was complete.
What came next.
Was the final arrangement for this world.
Haimer raised his hand.
Hum—
A vast surge of divine power instantly radiated outward from him in every direction.
Not merely covering the Holy Residence plaza.
Through a resonance on the level of universal law itself, it spread to cover the entire G-404 world.
The next instant.
Haimer's voice sounded simultaneously inside the minds of every Cursed Child across the entire world.
In that moment.
Every Cursed Child heard that authoritative yet warm voice once more.
"My Familia."
"Now that divine punishment has fallen and the old world is gone."
"From this day forward, you are the new masters of this land."
"I will be departing for a time."
"But this is not abandonment."
"It is to prepare a better future for you."
"Those who once hurt you have received their punishment. The virus that threatened your lives has been cleansed."
"Now."
"Use the strength in your hands. Use those Gastrea who have submitted to you."
"Clear away the rubble. Till the earth. Rebuild your home."
"In a few days, I will return."
"When I do, I will open the gateway to a new world."
"All children may enter a lottery — and through it, travel to my world."
"There, there is no discrimination. No persecution."
"Only sunlight and glory."
"I, Haimer, swear it — in the name of a god."
...
As the last word of the divine proclamation fell away.
The entire world seemed to erupt.
Countless Cursed Children poured out from their hiding places, looking up at the sky, cheering and leaping with joy.
Some fell to their knees and wept without restraint. Others threw their arms around one another.
The despair that had pressed down on them for so long was swept away in an instant.
Though the news of the god's departure filled them with reluctance.
But now that a promise had been made between them.
That sorrow faded considerably.
After all.
Kami-sama had said he would return.
And he would take them to a new world!
For children who had never once been treated with kindness, this was undeniably the greatest hope they had ever known.
---
Having done all of this.
Haimer withdrew his divine power.
His gaze settled on Chizuru Natsuyo, who had been standing quietly to one side the entire time.
That high-intelligence girl bearing the Dolphin-type Gastrea Factor was now pressing her lips tightly together, her fingers twisted in front of her, her eyes filled with open reluctance.
She was sharp.
From earlier, she had already understood that she was not on the "first wave" list.
Though reason told her that staying behind was the best arrangement.
Emotionally.
She was still just a ten-year-old child who longed to be cherished by a god, who wanted to remain by a god's side.
...
Haimer walked over to her in silence and crouched down.
Eye level with Chizuru Natsuyo.
Then he reached out and gently patted the top of her small head.
"The next time I come."
"I hope to see a different you."
"Not just your intellect — but your leadership."
"For now, I'm leaving this place in your care."
"This is both a test and a sign of my trust."
Feeling the warmth radiating from the hand above her head.
Chizuru Natsuyo's previously tense little face softened in an instant.
She closed her eyes, nuzzling against his palm with a quiet, contented greed.
"Mm."
"I understand, Kami-sama."
"I'll do well."
"Don't worry."
Not being able to go along was somewhat regretful.
But being trusted by Kami-sama, being entrusted with such responsibility —
That honor was more than enough to fill her heart with contentment.
And besides.
"You must come back soon."
"I'll miss you."
"I will."
Haimer smiled and nodded.
With everything settled.
It was time to wrap up the final loose ends.
...
Haimer swept his gaze around.
By now, everything had been reduced to rubble.
The Holy Residence plaza was strewn with the marks left behind by the mob's rampage — collapsed walls and shattered stone, the wreckage the Gastrea had left in their wake.
Though the Cursed Children could work hard at clearing it with the Gastrea's help.
Relying on them alone, who knew how many years it would take.
"Even though I said 'rebuild.'"
"I can't just walk away and leave them completely to their own devices."
"After all, this isn't only rubble — it's also the foundation of a new world."
"Now that the divine proclamation has been delivered, let me give them a miracle they can see with their own eyes."
Haimer shook his head, the corner of his mouth curving upward.
Then.
He drew on divine power once more.
Hum—
Rumble, rumble—
The ground began to tremble violently.
Those collapsed walls. Those shattered stones. Even the charred, blackened trees.
It was as though time itself had been reversed — everything began to restore automatically.
Stones flew upward, tracing graceful arcs through the air before reassembling into walls.
Shards of glass gathered and fused back together in an instant, reforming into smooth, gleaming windows — even clearer and more pristine than before.
The scorched trees burst back to life, sprouting tender green shoots that grew into towering, sky-reaching trees at a visible, breathtaking pace.
In just a few breaths' time.
That scene of utter devastation vanished completely without a trace.
In its place.
Stood a brand-new Holy Residence — more magnificent, more pristine, and somehow radiating an air of sacred dignity that far surpassed the original.
No ostentation. Only solemnity.
Everyone stared with their mouths agape, too awestruck even to cheer.
Was this the power of a god?
It was simply beyond comprehension.
...
"So incredible..."
"Is this... magic?"
The Holy Emperor covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes filled with pure, undisguised astonishment.
She had never imagined that a scene like this — something that only existed in mythology — could manifest so vividly and tangibly before her eyes.
---
Then.
Countless golden points of light flew out from Haimer's hands, dispersing into every corner of the world.
— The inscriptions of God's Grace.
They pierced through distance. Through walls. Through darkness.
Alighting with perfect precision upon the back of every single Cursed Child.
Etching a unique mark upon each one.
The mark of [Haimer Familia].
Though it was only a simple symbol, it represented a god's protection.
From this day forward.
They were no longer the monsters abandoned by the world.
They were a god's Familia.
---
Having finally completed everything.
"I should be going now."
Haimer turned and looked at the four figures standing behind him.
The Holy Emperor. Tendou Kisara. Aihara Enju. And Hiruko Kohina — crouched atop a toppled statue, a blood-dripping knife in hand, staring at him with unabashed curiosity.
These were the first group he would be taking back to Orario.
Not a bad lineup, all things considered.
A former sovereign. A sword-sworn avenger. A loli with extraordinary potential. And one born-to-kill natural weapon.
"Are you all ready?"
Haimer asked with a smile.
"Ready!"
The Holy Emperor, Tendou Kisara, and Aihara Enju — who had all been prepared for some time — answered in unison.
Even Hiruko Kohina jumped down from the statue and dusted off her hands, her face bright with excitement.
"Kami-sama, will there be fun things in that world?"
"Will there be lots of people to cut down?"
The corner of Haimer's mouth twitched.
This kid... really was just a combat maniac through and through.
"Don't worry."
"There's plenty of fun things over there."
"As for cutting people down... only bad people, alright?"
Haimer gave a meaningful smile and casually flicked her on the forehead.
"Ow!"
Hiruko Kohina clutched her head and looked up at Haimer with a deeply aggrieved expression.
"Alright, we really are leaving now."
After that.
Haimer swept a hand through the air.
A golden gate of light materialized from nothing.
Everyone fell in behind Haimer, filing through one by one.
As the last silhouette disappeared through the gate.
The gate slowly closed.
Stillness reclaimed the plaza.
Only Chizuru Natsuyo and the others who had remained behind stood where they were, eyes fixed on the spot where the gate had vanished — unable to look away for a long, long time.
Their gazes brimming with anticipation.
---
Orario. The intersection of North Main Street and West Main Street.
A quiet back alley.
At this moment.
Dusk had fallen.
The evening glow on the horizon blazed like fire, dyeing the entire city in shades of gold and crimson.
In the distance, Babel Tower — its peak lost somewhere above the clouds — had been gilded by the setting sun with a sacred rim of gold.
Because of the difference in the flow of time and the cycle of day and night between the two worlds.
Though they had spent an entire night and morning caught up in events in the G-404 world.
When they returned to Orario, it was only just evening here.
Hum—
A ripple spread through the air.
Then.
The gate of light flickered.
Haimer appeared in the deserted alley, the group following close behind.
The moment they touched down.
Some of them were clearly having trouble adjusting to the dizziness that came with cross-dimensional travel.
The Holy Emperor, complexion pale, braced herself against the wall and struggled to stay upright.
"This... is this really the other world?"
She raised her head and looked around, visibly disoriented.
Aihara Enju and Hiruko Kohina, on the other hand, had their eyes wide open — looking around like two curious cats, taking in every single detail.
Ancient stone walls. Ornately carved windows. And in the distance, that massive white tower rising impossibly high, as though connecting heaven and earth.
All of it was utterly new and strange to them.
"What is that tower?"
Aihara Enju pointed at Babel Tower in the distance, lips slightly parted.
"It's incredible..."
Tendou Kisara also stared in undisguised awe.
Even having mentally prepared herself, seeing this kind of fantastical architecture — the sort that only existed in fantasy — in person still delivered a tremendous jolt to this modern woman.
"That is Babel Tower."
"The entrance to the Dungeon lies beneath it."
Haimer smiled and offered a brief explanation.
"Welcome to the gathering place of the gods — Orario."
Haimer spread his arms wide as he said this, as though embracing the entire city.
"This is the center of the world."
"A city where gods and humans coexist."
"Gods... coexist with humans?"
The Holy Emperor latched onto the key detail with sharp instinct, a look of disbelief flickering through her eyes.
In her mind, gods were untouchable, lofty beings — far beyond human reach.
Just like the divine punishment Haimer had delivered back in that world.
How could gods possibly coexist with humans?
"That's right."
Haimer nodded, his expression becoming somewhat more serious.
He raised one index finger to his lips in a hushing gesture.
Something about that movement carried a hint of mystery.
"There are rules here you must all remember."
"These are for your own good."
"First."
"In this world, gods are strictly forbidden from using divine power."
Haimer's gaze swept over the assembled women.
"This is the mutual agreement among all gods who have descended to the Lower World."
"Any god who uses divine power will be forcibly sent back to the Heavens."
"Though I'm not particularly worried about that."
"The mechanism that can forcibly send gods back to the Heavens has already been brought under my control."
"But."
"Why make things complicated when you don't have to?"
"Therefore."
"The fact that you were brought here from another world by me —"
"For the time being, do not breathe a word of it to anyone outside."
"This counts as the highest classified secret of our Familia."
"Understood?"
The women looked at Haimer's slightly serious expression. Though some of them didn't fully grasp every detail, they all recognized the gravity of the situation.
They gave obedient nods in unison.
"Understood!"
"Very good."
Haimer smiled with satisfaction.
"Then just keep that one thing in mind~"
"As for the rest..."
"In this world, the only rule is — Kohina, no randomly cutting down innocent people for no reason. Otherwise, do as you please."
"Especially."
"If anyone dares to bully you."
"Hit back."
"If you can't handle it, just call for me."
"After all, even if our Familia is small, we're no pushover."
With the ground rules laid out.
Haimer led the group out of the alley and up to the front gate of his home.
A three-story stone mansion in an upscale residential district — one look and it radiated an unmistakable air of wealth.
It couldn't compare to the palace the Holy Emperor had once ruled from. But for most of the others, it was already lavish beyond anything they had dared imagine.
"Is this... our home?"
Aihara Enju stared at the grand house before her, eyes going slightly vacant.
Back in her old world, she had lived in sewers and ruins.
A mansion like this — she wouldn't have dared dream of it even in her sleep!
"Of course."
Haimer produced a key and began to unlock the gate.
"You'll all be living here from now on."
"There are plenty of rooms — pick whichever you like."
"Just treat this place as your own home."
With that.
Haimer turned the key.
Click.
The lock turned.
The black iron gate slowly swung open.
With a deep, resonant groan.
However.
Before Haimer had so much as set one foot inside.
Before anyone had even had a chance to recover from the giddy joy of "moving into a new home."
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"
A world-shattering wail exploded from the crack of the oak front door.
A cry so piercing it sounded as though someone had suffered the greatest injustice imaginable.
Then.
A blue-and-white blur, carrying a gale that could only be described as "pure pent-up grievance," came howling forward.
Shattering through the oak door in an instant.
"HAIMER!!!"
Bang!
Before Haimer even had time to react.
He was slammed squarely in the chest by this human cannonball — the so-called "Loli Goddess" herself.
The impact was strong enough to make even him stagger back half a step.
It was Hestia — who had not laid eyes on Haimer for a full day.
At this moment, she had completely abandoned any semblance of divine dignity.
Her signature twin black tails flew wildly through the air from the sheer force of her sprint.
The instant she collided with Haimer's chest, she latched on with both arms around his waist and hung off him entirely — like a koala clinging to a tree.
She pressed her face directly into his chest and smeared tears and snot all over his shirt without the slightest restraint.
"Waaah, waaah, waaah..."
"Where did you run off to!"
"You disappeared for an entire day!"
"You're so cruel!"
"I had no pocket money, I was going to starve to death eating nothing but breakfast!"
"Are you abandoning me?! Are you sick of having me around?!"
"Waaah..."
"If you're going to abandon me, at least give me a heads-up! Give me an advance on my allowance first!"
Hestia wailed her grievances, punctuating each complaint with small fists going "thump thump thump" against Haimer's chest.
Though they carried about as much force as someone tickling him.
But that sheer, unbridled sense of wronged injustice could have brought the Great Wall crashing down in tears.
Caught completely off guard by Hestia's ambush, Haimer could only raise both hands helplessly and let this creature throw her tantrum in his arms.
He could even feel a spreading dampness on his chest.
Presumably the tears and... snot... of a certain someone.
As for the others standing behind him —
Every single one of them was utterly dumbstruck.
"That, um..."
"Kami-sama..."
"Is she also your... Familia member?"
Seeing the blue-and-white twin-tail girl who had come exploding out of the house and immediately latched onto their god, Tendou Kisara flinched in shock. Once she collected herself, the corner of her eye gave an involuntary twitch, and she couldn't help asking in a small, tentative voice.
...